Pushbutton vacuum selector

ABSTRACT

A slide valve pushbutton vacuum selector for use in a vacuum cleaner to choose between low, intermediate and high suction. The selector closes or opens selectively two vent openings in the vacuum chamber enclosure of the vacuum cleaner by means of three interlocked slide valves which are double hinged such that the pushbutton ends of the valves point at an angle to the surface having the vent openings in order to facilitate access and ease of operation of the pushbutton selector.

United States Patent lnventor Carl E. Meyerhoefer Little Neck, N.Y.

Appl. No. 2,197

Filed Jan. 12, 1970 Patented Jan. 11, 1972 Assignee The General SignalCorporation New York, N.Y.

PUSHBUTTON VACUUM SELECTOR 6 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 15/327 R, 15/339, 15/421, 137/599, 137/601, 137/637 Int. Cl A4719/00 Field of Search 15/327 A, 327 E, 327 R, 339, 375, 419, 421; 251/326References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS 4/1969 Hixson et al.

3,353,452 11/1967 Becketal.

Primary Examiner-Edward L. Roberts Assistant ExaminerC. K. MooreAttorneys-Robert S. Dunham, P. E. Henninger, Lester W, Clark, Thomas F.Moran, Gerald W. Griffin, Howard J. Churchill, R. Bradlee Boal,Christopher C. Dunham and John F. Ohlandt, Jr.

ABSTRACT: A slide valve pushbutton vacuum selector for use in a vacuumcleaner to choose between low, intermediate and high suction. Theselector closes or opens selectively two vent openings in the vacuumchamber enclosure of the vacuum cleaner by means of three interlockedslide valves which are double hinged such that the pushbutton ends ofthe valves point at an angle to the surface having the vent openings inorder to facilitate access and ease of operation of the pushbuttonselector.

PUSI-IBUTTON VACUUM SELECTOR BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The inventionis in the field of devices for controlling fluid flow across a surfaceor a wall separating two spaces having different fluid pressures, andparticularly relates to pushbutton selectors for different flow ratesand to vacuum and suction level selectors for vacuum cleaners.

In vacuum cleaners, the means generating vacuum usually includes a motoroperating at constant speed and tending to maintain constant vacuumlevel. However, different vacuum and suction levels are required fordifferent types of cleaning (e.g., floors, dusting, drapes) and a commonmeans to vary suction has been a C-ring encircling partially anapertured or slotted portion of the vacuum cleaner wand. As the C-ringis rotated, the aperture or slot in the wand may be completely closedfor maximum suction, or it may be partially or fully opened for lowersuction. With this type of vacuum control means, there is usually nopositive indication of the type of suction at which the cleaner isoperating, the C-ring is vulnerable to unintentional displacement in thecourse of cleaning and may have to be readjusted repeatedly, andundesirable air leaks may develop around it.

In fluid flow control in general, pushbutton flow rate or flow pathselectors used in the past (Beck et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,353,452) havebeen of relatively complex construction and operation and the pushbuttonslide valves used have been rigid and straight.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a pushbuttonselector which is relatively simple and inexpensive, gives positiveindication of the type of suction at which the vacuum cleaner isoperating, maintains securely the chosen suction level, and facilitatesaccess and pushbutton operation by having the pushbutton ends of theslide valves point at an angle to the surface with vent openings.

It is a further object of the invention to provide suction control meansfor a vacuum cleaner which establishes and maintains predeterminedsuction levels which are readily identifiable and repeatedly selectablein exact duplication, without need for repeated fine adjustments by thevacuum cleaner user.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A pushbutton slide valve selector for selectingone of several flow rates between two spaces at different fluidpressures separated by a wall having one or more vent openings. In aparticular application, the selector controls the vacuum level in thevacuum chamber of a vacuum cleaner by means of selectively opening orclosing one or more openings for venting the vacuum chamber toatmospheric pressure. The openings may be of fixed size. I

The selector includes a housing affixed to the surface or wall dividingthe two different fluid pressure spaces. For example, the selectorhousing may fit over the top ofthe canister enclosing the vacuum chamberof a vacuum cleaner, and one or more vent openings in the canister topmay be provided. The selector housing encloses and confines to specificsliding paths one or more slide valves, depending on the number of ventopenings. Each slide valve is an oblong (usually rectangular) piece ofsubstantially flat material, and terminates at one longitudinal end in apushbutton which may be integrally formed with the flat portion of thevalve. Near the other longitudinal end of each slide valve, there is acontinuous area large enough to cover the vent opening with which thevalve is to cooperate. Next to the continuous area, there is an aperturewhich may be aligned with the vent opening by means of moving the slidevalve.

Each valve is confined by the housing to a sliding path overlapping avent opening. In one valve position along the sliding path, the ventopening for that valve is closed off by the continuous area of thevalve; in another position, the vent opening and the aperture in thevalve coincide to allow venting airflow. A particular advantage of theinvented pushbutton selector is that while the apertured portions of theslide valves remain flat against the wall having the vent openings forthe purpose of providing flow control, the pushbutton ends are raisedand point at an angle to the wall in order to facilitate access to thepushbutton portions of the slide valves for convenience of manualoperation. In order to allow operation at this angled relationship, eachslide valve has two parallel hinge lines which are perpendicular to thelength of the valve and allow for double flexing in the course of movinga valve along its sliding path.

A particular advantage of having at least one hinge line in each shellvalve is to allow the apertured portion of the valve to conformintimately to the shape and contour of the surface or wall having thevent openings so as to facilitate sealing the openings and preventingundesirable leaks. This sealing is most important when it is desired toprovide maximum fluid pressure differential across the surface or wallby closing all vent openings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a bottom elevational view ofa pushbutton slide valve selector with an open housing flap.

FIG. 2 is a top elevational view of the pushbutton slide valve selectorwith a partial cutout showing vent openings.

FIG. 3 is a side sectional view along lines 3-3 of FIGSv I and 2 andincludes a showing ofa double hinged slide valve.

FIG. 4 is a partially sectional and partially side elevational view of aslide valve having a single hinge line.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The pushbutton selector generallyindicated at 10 is designed to be affixed to a surface or wall, such assurface or wall 12, which separates two spaces at different fluidpressure, and is designed to serve in controlling the rate of fluidexchange between the two spaces.

In one particular embodiment, the pushbutton selector 10 is affixed to awall 12 of the canister of a vacuum cleaner which conventionallyincludes a motor generating vacuum inside a vacuum chamber whoseenclosure is the canister. The vacuum chamber is connected by means of aflexible hose or a wand or both to a cleaning nozzle.

The vacuum generating means (i.e., the fan motor inside the canister)usually operates at constant speed and tends to maintain a steady vacuumlevel. In order to vary the vacuum level for the purpose of providingoptimized vacuum for different types of cleaning, the vacuum chamberdefined by the canister enclosure may be selectively vented toatmospheric pressure by means of one or more vent openings. By varyingthe area or the number of the vent openings, the vacuum level may bevaried from a maximum (for types of cleaning such as floor cleaningwhich require maximum suction) to considerably less than maximum vacuum(for types of cleaning such as drape cleaning which require lowsuction).

The wall 12 (which may be the top canister wall) has vent openings 14and 16, visible in the cutout view of FIG. 2, which vent the vacuumchamber to atmospheric pressure. The vent opening 14 is larger than thevent opening 16; hence the vacuum drop is greater when opening 14 isvented than when opening 16 is vented.

The pushbutton selector 10 serves to selectively close or open ventopenings 14 and 16. It includes a housing 18 integrally made ofthermoplastic or other suitable material and affixed to the wall 12 bymeans of four screws 20. The housing 18 partially encloses and confinesto fixed sliding paths three slide valves 22, 24 and 26 of oblong orrectangular shape and made of suitable flat material such asthermoplastic. Each of the slide valves 22, 24 and 26 has two hingelines 28 and 30 which may be integrally formed by means of score linesrunning perpendicularly to the length of the slide valves. Each slidevalve is thus divided by the hinge lines 28 and 30 into three portionswhich may be angled with respect to each other in a plane normal to thehinge lines 28 and 30. A first portion of each slide valve 22, 24 and 26is defined as the portion between the hinge line 28 and the left-handend (as in the drawings) of each slide valve Each first portion includesa continuous area 32 and an aperture 34. Each continuous area 32 islarge enough to cover completely either of the vent openings 14 and 16;each aperture 34 is larger than the vent openings 14 and 16 in order toallow maximum airflow through the vent openings even if onlyapproximately aligned therewith. A second portion of each of the slidevalves 22, 24 and 26 is defined as between the hinge lines 28 and 30 andis a continuous area which may be in a plane at an angle to the plane ofthe first portion. A third portion is defined as the portion to theright (as in the drawings) of the hinge line 30 and includes a firstsection 35 which is a flat piece extending as a continuation of thesecond portion but at an angle thereto, a second section 36 extendingnormally from the right-hand end of the first section 35 and serrated orroughened for easier pushbutton operation, and a third section 38extending back toward the hinge line 30 and parallel to the firstsection 35 but spaced therefrom by the length of the second section 36.

The slide valves 22, 24 and 26 are confined to parallel sliding paths inthe housing 18 particularly by means of ribs 40 which are integral withthe housing 18 and which flank the pushbutton ends of each valve.

The slide valves 22, 24 and 26 are interlocked so that only one at atime may be pushed in to the position in which the slide valve 22 isshown in the drawings. The position in which the slide valve 22 is shownis defined as a first valve position, as opposed to the shown positionof the slide valves 24 and 26 which is defined as a second valveposition.

The interlocking mechanism includes conventional cam plates 42 and 44which have conventional cam slots and slide with respect to each otherand with respect to the slide valves 22, 24 and 26. A rivet 46 connectsthe sections 35 and 38 of the pushbutton end of each valve by extendingperpendicularly to said sections, and passes through the cam slots ofthe cam plates 42 and 44. As one of the slide valves 22, 24 and 26 ispushed into its first position, whichever other slide valve is in itsfirst position is pushed out to its second position by means of the camplates 42 and 44 which are acted upon by the rivet 46 ofthe slide valvebeing pushed in and act upon the rivet 46 ofthe slide valve being pushedout.

The housing 18 has a hinged flap 47 with integral ribs 48 each in thesame plane as one of the ribs 40. The flap 47 serves to keep the slidevalves 22, 24 and 26 in their proper places while the pushbuttonselector is being affixed to the wall 12, and also serves to provideseparation between the slide valves, as they move along their slidingpaths andmore importantly-to confine the cam plates 42 and 44 to aparallelepiped space defined by cutouts 50 along the lengths of the twocentral ribs 40 as top plane (as in FIG. 3), by the two outside ribs 40as two opposite sides, and by the wall 51 of the cutouts 50 of the twocentral ribs 40 and integral stops 52 as another pair of opposing walls,and by the tops of the ribs 48 ofthe flap 47 as bottom plane oftheparallelepiped.

As seen in FIG. 2, there is not vent opening for the slide valve 26;that valve is used only for the purposes of providing an interlockingmechanism which can move both slide valves 22 and 24 to their secondpositions when the slide valve 26 is pushed into its first position. Ineffect, the slide valve 26 is a switch means for placing both slidevalves 22 and 24 in their second positions. For production simplicityand for esthetic reasons, all three slide valves are identical, but theonly essential function ofthe slide valve 26 is its cooperation with theinterlocking mechanism including the cam plates 42 and 44. The first andsecond portions of valve 26 may thus be omitted entirely.

As another embodiment, the slide valve used as slide valves 22, 24 or 26may have a single hinge line, as shown in FIG. 4. The valve of FIG. 4has a first portion similar to the first portion of the valves 22, 24and 26 of FIGS. 1-3 and including a continuous area 32 and an aperture34. However, it has only one hinge line 28 and only single line flexingis possible for the purpose ofallowing the pushbutton end of the valveto point at an angle to the wall 12 for ease of access and operation.

In operation, when the pushbutton selector 10 is used in conjunctionwith a vacuum cleaner, the pushbutton 26 may be labeled FLOORS, theslide valve 24 may be labeled DUST- ING and the slide valve 22 may belabeled DRAPES. When it is desired to operate the vacuum cleaner atmaximum suction, the slide valve 26 is pushed in to its first position(all the way to the left, as shown in the figures). The interlockingmechanism then causes both slide valves 22 and 24 to be in their secondpositions, with their continuous areas 32 covering the vent openings 14and 16 and preventing any airflow therethrough. It should be appreciatedthat at that time the continuous areas 32 of the slide valves 24 and 26are held tightly pressed against the wall 12 because of the differentialbetween atmospheric pressure and the lower pressure inside the vacuumchamber of the cleaner.

When it is desired to operate at intermediate suction, as for examplefor dusting, the slide valve 24 is pushed in to its first position atwhich its aperture 34 is aligned with the vent opening 16 to allowairflow into the vacuum chamber through an air passage 48 which has aninlet between the left-hand (as in the drawing) end of the housing 18and the wall 12. The air inflow through the air passage 49 and the ventopening 16 reduces the vacuum inside the vacuum chamber and thus reducesthe suction at the vacuum cleaner nozzle. At that time both slide valves22 and 26 are pushed out to their second positions by means of theinterlocking mechanism.

When it is desired to operate at low suction, as for example forcleaning drapes, the slide valve 22 is pushed into its first positionsuch that its aperture 34 is aligned with the vent opening 14 to allowairflow therethrough. Because the vent opening 14 is larger than thevent opening 16, the airflow rate is now greater, and the vacuum insidethe chamber, as well as the suction at the cleaning nozzle, are reducedfurther.

What is claimed is:

1. For use in a vacuum cleaner including means for generating andmaintaining vacuum in an enclosed vacuum chamber connected for airflowwith a cleaning nozzle,

wherein the improvement is in pushbutton vacuum selector means forselectively venting the vacuum chamber to reduce the vacuum therein andthus to reduce the suction at the cleaning nozzle, comprising,

a. means for defining at least one vent opening in the vacuum chamberenclosure;

b. at least one slide valve of oblong shape and of flat flexiblematerial, with a pushbutton at one longitudinal end, with at least onehinge line perpendicular to the length of the slide valve for allowingflexing of the valve, and with a continuous area and means defining anaperture in a first portion defined as the portion between said at leastone hinge line and the longitudinal end opposite the pushbutton end,such that said first portion of the slide valve may be flat against thevacuum chamber enclosure while the rest of the slide valve may beseparated from the enclosure and at an angle thereto when the valve isflexed along said at least one hinge line; and

c. housing means affixed rigidly with respect to the vacuum chamberenclosure for holding said first portion of the slide valve pressedagainst the outside surface of the vacuum chamber enclosure, fordefining for said first portion of the slide valve a sliding pathoverlapping the vent opening, said sliding path including a firstposition at which the vent opening and the slide valve aperture arealigned to allow airflow between the vacuum chamber and the surroundingspace, and a second position at which the vent opening is covered by thecontinuous area of said first portion of the slide valve, and fordefining for the pushbutton end of the slide valve a sliding path whichis at an angle with the sliding path of said first portion of the slidevalve.

2. A vacuum cleaner as in claim 1 including:

. means defining a total of two vent openings of different openingareas;

3,633,239 5 6 b. a total of two slide valves, the first portion of eachconand fine l a P h e app g One Vent p gb. interlocking meansoperatively connected with the three 3. A vacuum cleaner as in claim 1,including a total of two S|ide valves f allowing only one valve to be inits fi t hinge lines, parallel to each other, and both perpendicular toposition at a ma the length of the slide valve, said hinge linesdividing the valve A vacuum cleaner as in claim 2 including interlockingmm three pol-(ms whlch may be angled wlth respect to each meansoperatively connected with the two slide valves for al- Other m a planenormal to the hmge lmes' lowing only one slide valve to be in said firstposition at a time.

A vacuum cleaner as in claim including: 6 A vacuum cleaner as in claim 5includin switch means a. a third slide valve confined to a sliding pathparallel to the g sliding paths of the other two slide valves and havinga 10 fg i q slide valves a ij gf posmons at whlch first and a secondpositions in line with respectively the e ven opemngs are covere y Salcon mucus areas first and second positions of the other two slidevalves;

1. For use in a vacuum cleaner including means for generating andmaintaining vacuum in an enclosed vacuum chamber connected for airflowwith a cleaning nozzle, wherein the improvement is in pushbutton vacuumselector means for selectively venting the vacuum chamber to reduce thevacuum therein and thus to reduce the suction at the cleaning nozzle,comprising, a. means for defining at least one vent opening in thevacuum chamber enclosure; b. at least one slide valve of oblong shapeand of flat flexible material, with a pushbutton at one longitudinalend, with at least one hinge line perpendicular to the length of theslide valve for allowing flexing of the valve, and with a continuousarea and means defining an aperture in a first portion defined as theportion between said at least one hinge line and the longitudinal endopposite the pushbutton end, such that said first portion of the slidevalve may be flat against the vacuum chamber enclosure while the rest ofthe slide valve may be separated from the enclosure and at an anglethereto when the valve is flexed along said at least one hinge line; andc. housing means affixed rigidly with respect to the vacuum chamberenclosure for holding said first portion of the slide valve pressedagainst the outside surface of the vacuum chamber enclosure, fordefining for said first portion of the slide valve a sliding pathoverlapping the vent opening, said sliding path including a firstposition at which the vent opening and the slide valve aperture arealigned to allow airflow between the vacuum chamber and the surroundingspace, and a second position at which the vent opening is covered by thecontinuous area of said first portion of the slide valve, and fordefining for the pushbutton end of the slide valve a sliding path whichis at an angle with the sliding path of said first portion of the slidevalve.
 2. A vacuum cleaner as in claim 1 including: a. means defining atotal of two vent openings of different opening areas; b. a total of twoslide valves, the first portion of each confined to a path overlappingone vent opening.
 3. A vacuum cleaner as in claim 1, including a totalof two hinge lines, parallel to each other, and both perpendicular tothe length of the slide valve, said hinge lines dividing the valve intothree portions which may be angled with respect to each other in a planenormal to the hinge lines.
 4. A vacuum cleaner as in claim 2, including:a. a third slide valve confined to a sliding path parallel to thesliding paths of the other two slide valves and having a first and asecond positions in line with respectively the first and secondpositions of the other two slide valves; and b. interlocking meansoperatively connected with the three slide valves for allowing only onevalve to be in its first position at a time.
 5. A vacuum cleaner as inclaim 2, including interlocking means operatively connected with the twoslide valves for allowing only one slide valve to be in said firstposition at a time.
 6. A vacuum cleaner as in claim 5, including switchmeans for moving both slide valves to their second positions at whichthe vent openings are covered by said continuous areas.